Recently rebuffed by the European Union in their quest to have imports of live American lobsters banned from the bloc, officials in Sweden say they will continue to pursue the issue on a regional and national level.
Sweden pursued the import ban after finding 32 American lobsters in its waters, and evidence of interbreeding between American lobsters and the native species. It launched an effort to get the E.U. to list the American lobster as an invasive species, triggering an import ban, but the E.U. decided against the measure on 14 October.
A spokeswoman for the Swedish government said the country still believes there are scientific reasons for listing the American lobster and said the government remains worried about the damage it could cause if it becomes more widespread, according to the Associated Press.
The spokeswoman told the AP Sweden is now looking into new, more local ways to address the issue.